The Last Durbar : A Dramatic Presentation
Of The Division Of British India

By Shashi Joshi

The existing histories of the Partition have very little chance of capturing
the moods and mindsets, the helplessness and frustrations, the anguish and final
despair of those that steered the course. The histories written thus far have
either focused on political narratives or ideological analysis. More recently,
the spotlight has turned towards the madness and pathology of mass murders and
hates. This play tells it as it was--without the epic dimensions of conventional
writing filled with the rhetoric of freedom and greatness, and also without
the legalese and constitution-making vocabulary of the "Transfer of Power".
The personal and political meet and separate as the Last Durbar with Louis Mountbatten
on the throne and the modern, constitutional Durbaris proclaim a republic and
bid farewell to each other. The play is based on the private papers of Mountbatten,
including verbatim records and testimonies, discussions and suggestions of the
leading Indian actors. It is a nuanced and multi-layered account of the months
and days that led to the partition of British India. It exposes the palpable
relationships of the leading actors in this drama, the moves and the counter
moves, interactions and maneuverings between a range of characters, against
the backdrop of momentous events and developments.